Opening Soon in the Design District: A Barbecue Joint With a 50-Foot-Tall Ferris Wheel

Dallas is about to get a new barbecue joint, and this one comes with a twist: a 7,000-square-foot patio complete with a 50-foot Ferris wheel that you can ride after filling up on barbecue.

Ferris Wheelers Backyard BBQ opens later this month at 1950 Market Center Blvd. The massive new restaurant comes from This & That Concepts, which also owns Parlay, High Fives, Tiny Victories and Whipper Snapper. This & That originally tapped former Wayward Sons chef and owner Graham Dodds to run Ferris Wheelers, but instead, he's running the culinary program at the renovated Statler. Doug Pickering is Ferris Wheelers' head pitmaster.

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Don't expect just Texas-style barbecue at this new spot, which is "drawing on influences from Kansas City, Memphis, Texas and beyond," according to the release. It continues:

“I left Wall Street to pursue my passion for BBQ, and I can guarantee that you’ll be served the highest quality, best-tasting meats possible,” said Pickering, owner of the award-winning DWP BBQ brand. “I use post oak wood and an offset wood-fired rotisserie smoker to ensure a taste of Texas in every bite. I’m a Dallas native and SMU grad so, as you can imagine, I’m a huge fan of the area and I can’t think of a more amazing platform for showcasing my own particular style of BBQ than Ferris Wheelers!”

The huge patio will have a stage for live music, along with games like Jenga, washers, oversized Kerplunk, checkers and chess.

The restaurant is hiring for its team of 30 to 40 people, and interested parties can apply in person at the restaurant between between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sept. 11-15 or send resumes to cody@ferriswheelers.com. Kitchen employment inquiries should be directed to doug@ferriswheelers.com.

Beth Rankin is an Ohio native and Cicerone-certified beer server who specializes in social media, food and drink, travel and news reporting. Her belief system revolves around the significance of Topo Chico, the refusal to eat crawfish out of season and the importance of local and regional foodways.